


Be Still, My Foolish Heart (Don't Ruin This On Me)

by Iggysassou



Series: Stony Stories [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (kinda), Attempt at Humor, Basketball, Established Relationship, Fluff, Insecure Tony Stark, M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Strip Games, Sweet Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Feels, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iggysassou/pseuds/Iggysassou
Summary: After a date, Steve and Tony end up playing strip horse basketball because Tony challenges Steve to a game.It's all fun and games until he has to remove his shirt and remembers that Steve has never seen the arc reactor or the scars surrounding it.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Stony Stories [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1356985
Comments: 14
Kudos: 241





	Be Still, My Foolish Heart (Don't Ruin This On Me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [S_Horne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Horne/gifts), [phiphil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phiphil/gifts).



> This was inspired by a post I saw on Twitter a few months ago by [Wingheadx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingheadx). I hope they don't mind me writing it, I couldn't get it out of my head!
> 
> And a special thanks to [S_Horne](https://s-horne.tumblr.com) and my others friends because I couldn't have finished without their help!

As Tony removed his waistcoat, carefully placing it on the bench under Steve’s amused eyes, he started to feel regret. He would never admit it out loud because he might have bragged a little earlier and he had a reputation to keep so he couldn’t back down now, but _maybe_ he hadn’t thought his plan through as well as he had thought.

The game had barely started twenty minutes and he had already lost his shoes, socks, jacket _and_ his tie while Steve had barely removed his shoes and socks. Thank God he had removed his jacket when they had come home.

“You sure you don’t want me to remove my shirt, give you a fair shot?” Steve asked, an infuriatingly smug smile on his lips as he played with the basketball gracefully, his moves easy and impossibly sexy.

Asshole.

Tony had never wanted to kiss him more.

Instead, he straightened up, putting on a cocky smile as he took the ball from him with a wink. “You wish, handsome. I’m just giving you a taste of what you _might_ get if you win, gotta keep you focused.”

Steve laughed as he moved back in position, cheeks now a little pink, and the game resumed.

\-----

As often happened in the tower, it had all started with an innocent discussion.

Tony and Steve had settled in the living room after their date, unwilling to part already and go back to their cold empty beds. Somehow, the conversation had led to Tony reminiscing about his old college days and all the shenanigans he and Rhodey had been up to, making Steve laugh to tears because as much as he could imagine a young Tony getting into impossible situations (which, fair but also, _rude_ ), it was a little harder for him to picture stern Colonel James Rhodes doing as much.

So Tony had told him about Rhodey’s memorable attempt to have him exercise during their third year at MIT. He couldn’t remember what had brought it up, probably yet another discussion on healthy habits and taking better care of himself, but after one too many drinks Rhodey had insisted Tony should start doing some sport because bedroom sport was _not_ a thing; contrary to what the younger man argued. At that point, they had both been drunk enough that Tony had accepted trying his hand at basketball only at the condition that they made it more interesting.

And that they had.

To this day, Rhodey still argued that he had meant it as a sarcastic suggestion, but regardless, they had ended up at MIT’s gym playing a game of strip horse basketball at two in the morning. Tony had even managed to get the speakers to blast music. The details were a little blurry, but he distinctively remembered winning the game. Or one of the games. Probably. Rhodey had lost his shirt so that was a win in his opinion.

Steve had laughed again then, his expression turning cheeky as he suggested that _maybe_ Rhodey had let him win. So, of course, Tony had done the only next logical thing: he had challenged him to a game.

\-----

In retrospect, Tony should’ve known what he was getting himself into when he’d challenged the peak of human perfection, but then again, he wasn’t exactly known for his self-control. He had taken one look at Steve, looking so damn edible in his shirt and dress pants, and decided he would win this game.

Almost forty minutes later, Tony was standing in front of Steve, panting heavily while the soldier barely looked winded. If it wasn’t for his hair sticking up and his rolled-up sleeves, no one would even think Steve had been playing with Tony. At least, they had both lost a few items of clothing, which Tony personally counted a small victory.

_Come on_ , Tony thought to himself. It was just a bit of maths and physics. He couldn’t let Steve distract him any more than he usually did.

Bouncing the ball a few times to get a feel of it, Tony focused on the distance to the net, aimed careful then released the tension in his arms and...

Straight in.

“YES!” Tony shouted excitedly, raising his arms above his head in victory before he turned to face a stunned Steve with a proud smirk. “Guess you were right, Cap. Time to lose the shirt.”

Steve was still staring in surprise and something else but he snapped out of it when their eyes met. Tony raised a challenging eyebrow at him and the man laughed, tipping his head at Tony in defeat before he removed his shirt, revealing a chiselled chest that would have made Renaissance sculptors weep.

Forget what Tony had thought earlier. He had the _best_ _ideas_.

The upbeat music JARVIS had been playing turned playful as they got back into position, Steve now gloriously half-naked. They circled each other, Tony taking his time to appreciate the view, then with nothing more than a look, they both moved to get into position for a one-on-one.

Now that Steve had seen that Tony could actually play, the game had gotten a little more interesting.

\-----

“Did you just score from the middle of the freaking court?” Tony asked, a little in awe. “That’s cheating!”

“No it isn’t! Your turn, Shellhead, drop the shirt,” Steve shot back cheerfully as he made his way back to Tony with the ball, a bright smile on his face. 

At least the super soldier finally looked winded, but as Steve approached Tony, the desire that had been pooling in his stomach since the beginning of the game was suddenly replaced by dread.

Right.

So there might have been another little detail he had overlooked when he had challenged Steve earlier.

Save for Pepper and Rhodey, no one had seen the mess that had become his chest since he had gotten the arc reactor. As grateful as Tony was to be alive, there was no denying that his chest was ugly and he didn’t want anyone subjected to it.

There were scars scattered across his chest from the blast, like a travesty of freckles, and of course there was the arc reactor right in the middle of his chest. The skin around it had long healed, but it was still not a pretty sight. It was not a perfect scar that could easily be forgotten. It was gruesome, a reminder of what he had gone through and how much destruction he had caused.

It was not something he wanted Steve to see. Not tonight.

Their third date had gone amazingly well, just like the previous two. The discussion had flowed easily between them as it did when they had been ‘just friends’, but with the added benefit that they could hold hands and kiss each other to their heart’s desire. They hadn’t tumbled into a bed yet, both agreeing to take their time, but there had been a heavy kissing session on the couch earlier and Tony had seen the man’s appreciative gaze on him tonight, the slow once-over Steve had given him when he had picked him up. He didn’t want it to change. Not when the night was heading toward _something_.

Tony’s fingers hovered above the buttons of his shirt while his mind was going a thousand miles an hour. He could remove his pants first instead, claim to spice thing up a little, but Steve would see right through him. He had become annoyingly good at understanding him.

Tony could also stop the game. Steve wouldn’t mind. But he didn’t want to. He was enjoying this, damn it. It was fun, light and flirtatious, but at the same time, it might be better to cut his losses now and try to salvage what he could.

“Tony?”

Steve’s voice interrupted his thoughts and Tony looked up to meet his eyes. He wasn’t sure when the man had moved closer but he was standing right in front of him, his big hands covering his. Of course, he knew. But there was no hint of pity in his eyes. In fact, he wasn’t even looking at his chest. He was looking right into his eyes, a warm smile on his face, no expectation just understanding.

Tony relaxed, his own lips curling upward a little.

“I’m fine.” And he was.

There was no hesitation as he unbuttoned his shirt this time. Steve’s soft gasp nearly made him flinch but he kept his head high, eyes on Steve as he watched for his reaction. The man seemed conflicted as he stared at his chest, looking both amazed and a little sick. Tony had expected that reaction. Rhodey and Pepper had made the same face at first. Tony braced himself for rejection, for Steve to ask him to put his shirt back on, but instead Steve wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer to give him a long kiss that made him melt.

“You’re gorgeous,” Steve whispered against his lips, just loud enough that Tony could hear him and that was enough, then pulled back with a playful smile. “But don’t think you’re distracting me that easily, shellhead.”

Tony laughed, the tension releasing from his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck to kiss him again. “I think you’re already pretty distracted, soldier,” he replied with a little smirk as he pressed against him, making him groan. Those pants really hid nothing.

“Yeah, no, okay,” Steve gasped, tightening his hold on him delightfully. “You’re right, you won, now let’s-”

“Excuse me, what was that? I won?” Tony asked as he pulled back with a grin, eyes twinkling with delight.

“ _Tony_!” Steve protested, though there was definitely a smile on his face.

“Nope! I won! You said it! J, you got that, right? Save it to my-”

Tony was still laughing when Steve shut him up with a kiss. It was a little messy because they were both too happy to care.

(And when Tony woke up the next morning with Steve in his arms, he privately thought he had won more than a game.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I really hope you liked it and please leave a comment if you did! :)


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